Update for anyone going down similar rabbit hole. Lift foils for me, but same ideas may pertain to you with tail size, weight, fuselage, and foils…
170, 120, 90 all ha
32 glide, 33 carve, 26 carve
3 inch extension
28 inch mast (32 inch mast just bought, not ridden)
33l, 4’5 foil the world
175-180lbs before wetties
6 sec. wave periods norm. thigh to waist (summer no wetsuit) waist to couple feet over (winter) 3/2, 4/3 wetsuits.
170, 33 carve a favorite for a long time. Quick pump cadence and easy turns. Going long out the back a bit more tiring than glide 32, but turns more fun. Glide gives me a 2-3 pump, 1 free glide, 2-3 pump, 1 glide. Carve…pumping all the time with a small half sec pause every once in a while, but for most part it’s game on the whole time.
extension with 33 was a draggy beast. could go longer on pumps but felt too inefficient. a big difference to where i thought Carves were losing a lot of glide regardless of extension.
170 carve 26. For my weight i couldnt get a good pump rhythm. I felt i was always overpowering the tail on pumps. Just riding a wave was awesome, but trying to pump out was not working for me.
170, carve 26, extension. Works well. I like it when waves are waist to chest. I get enough speed to keep the pump going. Smaller surf i feel like I’m locked in a bit more. The pump is similar to carve 33, but i can get longer distance per pump. Turns are just slower and i kinda like the carve 33 with 170, no extension best.
120…originally with glide 32. loved as we had chest high summer surf for a week straight and was connecting 4, 5 waves no problem. The thing i noticed different was i wasnt pumping out the back. i was just pumping to the next wave or 2nd wave. Lots of fun but always going up and down the shore vs staying in one spot on 170.
120 carve 33. friggin loved it on a waist high day. thought this was going to be my go to from then on
Next session, i was.like wtf. i kept losing the pump trying to go outback. Havent tried again since.
120, carve 33, extension
too locked, felt slower to where id have to start pumping vs gliding out the back.
120 carve 26, extension. Again, for my weight, i feel i blow out the tail too easily on pumps. I can make it go for the next wave, but two or three back is a big chore and i have to be perfect with pump and mast height compared to my 150 lb friends.
6 months ago i epoxied winglets to tips of glide 32 to track a bit better like carve. sounds similar to lift’s new tails?. I since took them off, but am thinking about putting back on. i like the pump and distance on the glide, but turn of carves. Glides dont engage in turns unless you’re thinking rail to rail. if you go straight for a bit and then try to turn withought rail u can feel the back slide out.
recently grabbed a 90, carve 26, extension. ive omly ridden once with tow ins. Full on 180lbs, boots, gloves, helmet, 4/3, life vest so probably 190lbs. Lots of water moving around at our spot. I never got the pump down, but feeling like the Michelin man didnt help. 90 is rediculously looser than 120. i can feel it move with just ankle movement. i feel also that i need to move the 90 back further in box than i do 120, 170. it feels like a different foil entirely. i havent had a surf on it, yet.
for the future…i want to try 120 and 90 with carve 26 no extension ( though i probably won’t be able to pump outback)
I alos want to try both with 33 carve, no extensions, and then with with glide 32,.
For winging i put on 32 glide with 170 and 120. i havent had a chance with 90, yet. Carves with extension are fun too, but a bit more pitch sensitive for jibes. Glide also goes downwind easier. With the 120 and glide i can move forward on bumps vice going for bump behind me on 120 w carve or 170.
Hope this helps someone on their adventuure.